In wellbore drilling, a drill bit is attached to a drill string, lowered into a well, and rotated in contact with a formation. The rotation of the drill bit breaks and fractures the formation forming a wellbore. A drilling fluid (also known as drilling mud) is circulated down the drill string and through nozzles provided in the drill bit to the bottom of the wellbore, and then upward toward the surface through an annulus formed between the drill string and the wall of the wellbore. The drilling fluid serves many purposes including cooling the drill bit, supplying hydrostatic pressure upon the formation penetrated by the wellbore to prevent fluids from flowing into the wellbore, reducing torque and drag between the drill string and the wellbore, carrying the formation cuttings, i.e., the portions of the formation that are fractured by the rotating drill bit, to the surface, and other purposes.
One potential issue during wellbore drilling operations occurs when hydrocarbons from the formation being drilled are released into the wellbore before the well is set for production. The hydrocarbons in the formation, which can be at pressures greater than the drilling mud weight on the drill bit, can flow to the surface resulting in well blowout. Another potential issue during wellbore drilling occurs due to the aggregation of formation cuttings, either downhole or at other positions along the flow path of the drilling mud. Such aggregation can, among other issues, reduce a life of the drill bit, decrease penetration rate, and result in stuck pipe and/or lost circulation.